Hoarding at Mapusa removed after NGO's complaint
KTCL staff cut and removed the illegally installed advertising hoarding at the Mapusa bus stand.
MAPUSA
An illegally installed advertising hoarding at the Mapusa Kadamba Transport Corporation Limited (KTCL) bus stand was finally removed recently – but only after sustained intervention by the Goa Civic and Consumer Action Network (GOACAN), raising serious questions about internal monitoring and enforcement at one of the State’s busiest transport hubs.
The hoarding, prominently placed at the entrance of the bus stand and advertising Club Cubana, had been erected without any permission from KTCL or payment of mandatory advertising fees.
Despite its conspicuous location, the unauthorised structure remained in place for several weeks, unnoticed – or unchecked – by KTCL’s supervisory staff.
GOACAN had formally complained to Assistant Divisional Manager Bikaji Phadte of the Porvorim Depot, prompting an internal inquiry which confirmed the installation was illegal.
Following the complaint, welders from the KTCL workshop were deployed to cut and remove the hoarding.
Only thereafter did KTCL management lodge a complaint with the Mapusa Police Station seeking action against those responsible.
Activists have questioned why the corporation acted only after a citizen watchdog stepped in.
GOACAN has demanded that KTCL go a step further and register a First Information Report (FIR) against the company involved for criminal trespass, illegal installation and revenue loss caused to the public transport undertaking.
The incident has also exposed wider governance gaps at the Mapusa bus stand. During a parallel inspection, GOACAN volunteers found irregularities in the operation of public toilets on the premises, including overcharging of commuters and lack of basic supervision.
The toilet attendant was reportedly not in uniform and was charging Rs 5 for use of the urinal against the approved rate of Rs 2.
These violations, too, were corrected only after GOACAN flagged them with the KTC management, following which an official rate card was displayed outside the facility.
GOACAN coordinator Roland Martins said the episode demonstrated how citizen intervention often substitutes for institutional vigilance.
“If people complain, action follows. Citizens must get involved and promptly lodge complaints whenever there is a deficiency in service in government departments,” Martins said, adding that GOACAN would pursue cases where authorities fail to act on their own.
In yet another concern, GOACAN has highlighted the continued sale of banned gutka products in and around the Mapusa bus stand, calling for coordinated action by enforcement agencies.
The presence of illegal advertisements, overcharging of commuters and sale of prohibited items within the same premises has brought the role of KTCL’s supervisory staff under sharp scrutiny.
Activists allege that the pattern points to a reactive system rather than proactive enforcement, allowing illegal activities to flourish until exposed by external complaints – raising uncomfortable questions about accountability within the transport corporation.
